Chansey emerged from the storage room with a sparkle in her eyes and something extraordinary in her stubby arms.
Instead of the usual white-and-blue egg incubator, she carried a golden capsule, its surface gleaming softly under the lights of the Pokémon Center.
"Chan-sey~!" she chirped proudly, waddling forward.
Nurse Joy smiled in surprise and delight. "Ah, perfect! Thank you, Chansey."
She turned to Rael and gently offered him the incubator. "Here you are, young Trainer."
"Thanks!" Rael exclaimed, his eyes bright as he accepted the treasure. He flipped the golden latch open with a soft click, revealing the padded, temperature-controlled cradle inside.
Carefully, he placed the Magikarp egg inside and closed the lid. The incubator let out a soft hum, then adjusted itself automatically to the perfect conditions.
Nurse Joy watched approvingly. "Would you like to stay for the night? The Pokémon Center offers a great free room service for every registered Trainer."
"Oh, yes, a room for us, then," Rael said without hesitation.
Joy reached under the counter and handed him a key card with a number etched in gold. "Room 14. The first one on the first floor."
"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Rael said gratefully as he took the key.
But before he could turn toward the hallway, the sudden roar of a motorbike engine echoed through the Pokémon Center.
Vrroooom!
"What?" Rael spun around, alarmed. Delia and Daisy turned with him, eyes wide.
And then, Rael's heart jumped.
A sleek police motorbike shot in through the automatic doors, screeching to a halt on the pristine floor tiles. Sitting atop it was a stunning officer with vivid green hair. Her figure-hugging police uniform—trimmed in deep blue with silver buttons—did little to hide her toned figure and commanding presence.
It was none other than Officer Jenny.
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Behind her, gripping her waist for support, was a boy with messy black hair and a familiar red cap.
"Ash?!" Delia muttered, her heart skipping a beat. Her breath caught in her throat. What if he sees me with Rael? What would he think?
Rael's thoughts spiraled in panic. No way. No, no, no!
In a flash, he summoned his Lust Dimension and sent both Delia and Daisy inside, their bodies shimmering and vanishing before anyone noticed.
The motorbike finally came to a complete stop in front of the central counter. Officer Jenny hopped off, her sharp gaze scanning the room.
"You can't enter with a motorcycle here!" Nurse Joy snapped, hands on her hips.
"I know, it's an emergency," Officer Jenny replied coolly, pulling her cap down slightly.
"Please, help my Pokémon!" Ash cried, leaping off the bike. His Pikachu looked battered, sparking weakly in his arms.
He rushed to the counter, eyes locked on Nurse Joy—so concerned he didn't even notice Rael standing a few steps to the side.
"Please, Pikachu needs help!"
Nurse Joy's eyes widened the moment she saw the limp Pikachu in Ash's arms.
"Chansey!" she called out sharply. "Quick, we need a stretcher for a little Electric Pokémon!"
"Chan-sey!" the pink Pokémon nodded and dashed off with surprising speed through the back doors.
Just a second later, that same Chansey returned—now accompanied by two more Chanseys—pushing a white and pink stretcher with soft padding, designed precisely for injured Pokémon.
"Trainer, please put your Pikachu here," Joy instructed calmly but firmly.
Ash immediately complied, carefully laying Pikachu on the stretcher. The tiny Pokémon twitched, sparks flickering weakly from its cheeks.
"Chansey, bring him to the recovery room!" Nurse Joy ordered.
The trio of Chanseys nodded and began wheeling the stretcher swiftly down the hall.
"Don't worry, Trainer… your Pikachu will be taken care of," Joy reassured Ash with a soft smile, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder before quickly following after the Chanseys.
"Thank you!" Ash bowed deeply, his eyes filled with gratitude.
With no time to waste, Nurse Joy vanished into the corridor, the doors swinging shut behind her.
Ash stood in silence, clenching his fists nervously.
"Ash!" Rael called out, stepping forward. "What happened?"
Ash blinked and looked over. "Rael… you're here?"
The younger boy's face twisted with guilt and worry. "My Pikachu… We were being followed by an entire storm of Spearows, and Pikachu—he… he sacrificed himself to save me!" Ash said, his voice cracking with emotion.
Rael nodded slowly, placing a comforting hand on Ash's shoulder. "You're lucky he's strong—and you brought him to the right place. He'll be okay."
Just then, Officer Jenny gave a small smirk and turned toward her bike. "Well, looks like you found company… I'll head out then."
"Thanks, Officer Jenny!" Ash called after her.
Jenny raised a hand in acknowledgment, then revved her engine. The sleek motorbike glided forward and exited the Pokémon Center with a low purr.
The entrance doors slid shut behind her, and once again, silence settled in the lobby.
The quiet hummed awkwardly between them, the sounds of the distant recovery room faint behind the closed doors.
Rael cleared his throat, scratching the back of his head. "So, uh… Ash… did you… catch any Pokémon yet?"
Ash blinked, as if only now remembering his journey was supposed to involve catching Pokémon too. His shoulders slumped. "No… I tried to catch a Pidgey, but it just flew away...."
Rael winced sympathetically, but before he could respond, Ash tilted his head. "What about you, Rael? I guess… it's the same, right? I mean, I heard from Professor Oak that your Riolu's kind of like how Pikachu was with me at the beginning."
Rael gave a sheepish grin. "Well… not exactly."
Ash perked up. "Huh?"
"I actually caught a Pidgey. And a Rattata. Oh—and a Spearow." He paused, then pointed a thumb to the golden Super Incubator glowing softly behind him on the counter. "Also found a Magikarp's egg."
Ash stared at him.
Rael blinked.
Ash's jaw dropped. "Are you… for real?"
"Yep," Rael said simply, folding his arms.
"…Sigh…" Ash let out a long breath. "That's not fair…"
To be continued...
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How was this chapter? Liked it?
Also, I've thought about how to resolve the too big harem problem, don't worry.